Beautiful and youthful skin can be achieved at all ages, but with time your skin may require more attention to keep it healthy, fresh, and glowing.
In my 20’s I had ZERO clue and did not invest any time into my skincare. As a fact I didn’t even know it was a thing. Well, that was until the drama also called severe acne knocked on my door. As a professional dancer and model, you can imagine how emotionally challenging that was.
Luckily through dietary changes, support from nutritionists I steered away from expensive creams, antibiotics and managed to clear my acne within a year.
While aging is inevitable yet beautiful, we all want to experience it with ease, grace, and freedom and that includes a beautiful skin we’re proud of.
A beautiful skin can be maintained at all ages so here are 5 easy beauty and wellness tips to get you started.
1. Cleanse (but don’t overdo it)
Regular and thorough cleansing of the skin is necessary to get rid of the dirt accumulated throughout the day. On the other hand, over-cleansing can strip the skin from its natural oil, leaving it feeling and looking dull. And obviously, this is what we’re trying to avoid
Facialist and dear friend of mine Hadda Akrim recommends
- Opting for non-stripping cream cleansers or oil cleansers.
- In the morning: keep it simple. If you have dry skin rinse your face with lukewarm water. If you have oily skin opt for a gentle cleanser or manuka honey (a great natural cleanser)
- In the evening double cleanse especially if you wear makeup, SPF and have been out in the day (don’t forget to also clean your makeup brushes)
Ps: do you remember in our early 20’s when we used to go to bed with makeup?! Did you do it or was that just me?
2. Massage
Hadda says “massaging your face can be really beneficial for getting that plumped hydrated look. It stimulates the muscles, brings more blood to the skin which means more oxygen and nutrients. Facial massage will also stimulate the lymph nodes and help them drain toxins and fluid retention that causes puffy face.”
Hadda’s facial massage guide:
- Start with some breathing exercises to relax your neck and shoulders area and get in the zone
- Deep breath in for 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, and out 4 seconds (repeat 5 times)
- Start the massage with gentle strokes starting from the forehead working down via the neckline for 3 to 5minutes. This is the best way to access the lymphatic system and get fluids moving
- Then move onto the facial muscles. Apply a bit more pressure
- Use enough oil to avoid pulling the skin, you want to have enough glide.
- Be in the moment and enjoy it 🙂
3. Hydrate
Our skin alone is 64% water so we definitely want to keep hydrated throughout the day to maintain its integrity.
Aim to drink 2l of clear water a day. In this article, I share some tips on how to improve your water game and stay on top of your hydration.
4. Nutrient-dense meals
Wholesome and balanced meals will benefit your body as a whole but will also have a huge impact on the quality of your skin.
Foods rich in healthy fats, collagen, water, vitamin C, Zinc, and Vitamin A will support the integrity of your skin. Leafy greens, broccoli, legumes, oily fish, nuts, seeds, squash, mangoes, avocado, cucumber, berries are some of the yummy foods that will support youthful skin.
I often have clients that spend tons and tons of money on the latest, cutest, star approved beauty products but forget to get back to the essential. Drink water and eat well. It truly is the starting point for a beautiful and youthful skin.
5. Appropriate beauty products
Hadda recommends, using products that are clean and age-appropriate. It really is about understanding your skin, knowing the ingredients you need to cater for it, and then choosing the right formula.
For Dry skin
- Cleanse with balms or oils.
- Top up your moisturiser plus a few drops of oil for extra hydration.
- Products that contain essential fatty acids, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, Almond oil, ceramides, squalene have fantastic hydrating properties for dry skin.
- One important thing is to assess whether your skin is dehydrated or actually dry?
To find out, hydrate yourself consistently and check for any changes in your skin.
For Oily skin
- Add salicylic acid (as cleanser or toner) 2-3 times a week into your routine. Salicylic acid breaks down keratin and gets into the pores that hold debris and oil. It’s the best ingredient to treat blackheads, acne, and or oily prone skin.
For Combination skin
- Hydrate your dry areas and treat your oily areas with the right ingredients.
- Use ingredients such as lactic acid or papain enzymes which are both exfoliating yet hydrating
- Use light-weight oil-free moisturisers on oily areas, then top up with slightly richer creams on dry areas.
